Justice News

Man Sentenced to Over Twenty-Seven Years in Federal Prison for Heroin Distribution

Distribution of Heroin Causes Serious Injury and Death

A man who was involved in heroin distribution was sentenced on July 25, 2018, to more than 27 years in federal prison.

Donald Johnson also known as “Scony”, age 52, most recently from Cedar Rapids, and originally from Chicago, Illinois, received the prison term after a March 12, 2018, guilty plea to a three-count Information charging two counts of distribution of heroin causing serious bodily injury, and one count of distribution of heroin causing death. Johnson’s has been selling heroin in and around Cedar Rapids since at least 2015. Johnson received gram quantities of heroin, and broke them into smaller quantities for resale purposes. Johnson was fronted the drugs for resale on multiple occasions and had more than one supplier of heroin during his drug dealing activities. Johnson’s heroin distribution resulted in two victims suffering overdoses. Both received attention from emergency responders and were transported to the hospital where they each were revived by medical personnel. One of these victims later died from a second overdose after Johnson sold her drugs.

Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Linda R. Reade. He was sentenced to 325 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force.